Ever since I began attending classes at UNM many years ago, there has been the constant debate simmering over the issue of students locking their bikes to hand rails. And every year, the same valid arguments arise. Yes, it is a problem. Yes, it is inconsiderate to the handicapped. No, it isn't really the responsibility of the UNM Physical Plant or campus police to hunt down and remove improperly parked bicycles.
And every year, some administrator from the Physical Plant sends a letter to the Lobo stating, essentially, "It's out of our hands. We put the responsibility on the students to deal with it or lose their bikes."
And every year, there is always the same response from bicycle commuters: There are not enough bike racks on campus.
The solution seems to be obvious. Perhaps UNM campus needs more bike racks. How much more plainly can this be stated? The temptation to convey this message to the powers-that-be in a condescending parody of "parent talking to child" is almost overpowering. UNM campus needs more bike racks and has needed them for years. And the need for more bike racks will not diminish in the near future any more than the need for more automobile parking spaces will.
For administrators at the Physical Plant to distill the motivations for students locking their bikes to handrails down to little more than a childish attempt to be "cool" is inexcusable and insultingly simplistic.
It is perfectly indicative of their unwillingness or inability to understand the primary reason for this problem, namely that UNM campus needs more bike racks
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I will certainly concede that some students do indeed lock their bikes in blatant disregard for others. But I am willing to bet a fair share of my future lifetime earnings that a vast majority of students don't do this because it's "cool." Furthermore, I'm going to go out on a limb and reiterate that students engage in this practice primarily because UNM campus needs more bike racks.
Daniel Stapleton
UNM alumnus
